Apparatus for filling cigarette tube with tobacco

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco includes a base, on which a hopper and a compression chamber are provided. A cutter is provided on the base to be driven to cut the tobacco. A compression member is provided on the base to be driven to compress the tobacco in the compression chamber. A sensor detects a counter force on the compression member when the compression member compresses the tobacco. A sending device has an end received in the compression chamber to be driven to push the tobacco out of the compression chamber, and a central controller is connected to the cutter, the compression member and the sending device respectively to drive the cutter, the compression member and the sending device for movement according to a predetermined procedure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for smoking, and more particularly to an apparatus for filling cigarette tubes with tobacco.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are tobaccos sale to consumer that the consumers have to fill the tobacco in a cigarette tube before smoking. There also are many machines for filling the cigarette tube with tobacco.

A conventional filling machine has a case, in which tobacco is filled by manual. The case with a lid pivoted thereon with a block on an interior side that the block compresses the tobacco in the case when close the lid. The compressed tobacco is pushed into a cigarette tube also by manual. The manual operation makes the cigarettes with different amount of tobaccos. If user put too much tobacco in the case, the tobacco may fail to be pushed into the cigarette tube. If user put less tobacco in the case, he/she has no pleasure for smoking.

There are automatic machine for filling tobacco in the cigarette tube. For such machine, a predetermined amount of tobacco is sent to a chamber in the machine first, and then tobacco is compressed to be sent to a cigarette tube. The conventional machine has three motors to drive three devices for sending the tobacco, compressing the tobacco and pushing the tobacco, so that the machine is huge, heavy and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for filling cigarette tubes with a predetermined amount of tobacco.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for filling the cigarette with tobacco, which only has one power to drive all elements.

According to the objectives of the present invention, an apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco comprises a base, on which a hopper and a compression chamber are provided. The hopper receives tobacco, and the compression chamber is communicated with the hopper. A cutter is provided on the base to be driven to cut the tobacco. A compression member is provided on the base to be driven to compress the tobacco in the compression chamber. A sending device has an end received in the compression chamber to be driven to push the tobacco out of the compression chamber, and a central controller is connected to the cutter, the compression member and the sending device respectively to drive the cutter, the compression member and the sending device for movement according to a predetermined procedure.

The method of filling a cigarette tube with tobacco includes the steps of:

a) Driving a cutter cut tobacco off.

b) Driving a compression member compressing the tobacco in a compression chamber.

c) Detecting a counter force on the compression member from the tobacco when the compression member compresses the tobacco, wherein repeating the step a and the step b until the counter force is greater than a predetermined value.

d) Driving a sending device to send the tobacco in the compression chamber to a cigarette tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the initial positions of all elements;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along 3-3 line of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention following FIG. 2, showing the clockwise rotation of the central controller driving the cutter and the compression member forward;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along 5-5 line of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view in part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the action of the sensor in the condition of the counter force from the tobacco greater than a specific value;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention following FIG. 4, showing the sending device pushing the tobacco in the compression chamber to the cigarette tube, and

FIG. 8 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the counterclockwise rotation of the central controller for the cleaning procedure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus for filling cigarette tubes with tobacco of the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base 10, on which a motor 12, a hopper 14, a compression chamber 16, a cutter 18, a compression member 20, a central controller 22, a sensor 24 and a sending device 26 are provided.

The base 10 is provided with a first switch 28, a second switch 30, a third switch 32 and a fourth switch 34. A processor (not shown) electrically connected to the switches and the motor 12 to control the motor 12 according to the signals from the switches. The motor 12 is mounted on a bottom side of the base 10 with a spindle extended to a top side of the base 10 and connected to the central controller 22. The hopper 14 is mounted on the top side of the base 10 with a channel 36 thereunder. The channel 36 has an end communicated with the compression chamber 16 and is communicated with the hopper 14 also. The compression chamber 16 is open at opposite ends thereof, and a nozzle 38 is mounted in an open of the compression chamber 16.

The central controller 22 is a disk-like member with a rail thereon. The rail has a first rail 40, a second rail 42 and a third rail 44. The second rail 42 has the same curvature with the spindle of the motor 12 to be the center of curvature. The third rail has the same curvature with the spindle of the motor 12 to be the center of curvature also, but the curvature is greater than that of the second rail 42. The first rail 40 has opposite ends communicated with the second and third rails respectively. The central controller 22 has a first activating portion 46 and a second activating portion 48 associated with the first and second switches 28, 30 respectively.

The cutter 18 is slidably mounted on the top side of the base 10 between the hopper 14 and the channel 36, and the compression member 20 is received in the channel 36. The cutter 18 has a pin 50 on a bottom thereof to be engaged with a slot 52 on a top of the compression member 20, such that the cutter 18 can move the compression member 20 after it moves for a predetermined distance with the pin 50 against an end of the slot 52. The cutter is driven for movement cross the hopper 14, and an end of the compression member 20 enters the compression chamber 16. The cutter 18 has an activating portion 54 associated with the third switch 32.

A linkage 56 has a middle pivoted on the base 10 with a pin 58 at an end thereof to be engaged with the rail of the central controller 22 and an elongated slot 60 at the other end thereof to be engaged with a post 61 on the cutter 18. When the pin 58 moves in the first rail 40 of the central controller 22, the cutter 18 and the compression member 20 are moved via the linkage 56. The linkage 56 has a recess 62 beside the slot 60 and communicated with the slot 60.

The sensor 24 has a cover 64, a bolt 66 and a spring 68. The cover 64 has an end pivoted on the linkage 56, and the spring 68 is fitted to the bolt 66, and the bolt 66 is screwed into the linkage 56 with the spring 68 urging the cover 64. The spring force of the spring 68 exerted on the cover 64 is adjusted by turning the bolt 66. At normal condition, the cover 64 masks the recess 62 to have the slot 60 with the same width.

The sending device 26 has two rails 70, a driving base 72, a plate 74, a bar 76 and a shovel 78. The rails 70 are two parallel shafts mounted on the base 10, on which the driving base 72 is provided for movement along the rails 70. The plate 74 is fixed on the base 10 with a space thereunder. At initial condition, the driving base 72 is received in the space under the plate 74. The bar 76 is fixed on the driving base 72, and the shovel 78 is fixed to a free end of the bar 76 and is received in the compression chamber 16. The driving base 72 is provided with two stop portions 80 and 82 associated with a pin 84 on the central controller 22. The driving base 72 is drawn out of the space under the plate 74, when the central controller 22 rotates with the pin 84 against the stop portion 80 or 82 of the driving base 72. When the driving base 72 moves out, the post 74 moves into the compression chamber 16, and the shovel 78 moves out of the compression chamber 16 via the nozzle 38. The driving base 72 is provided with an activating portion 86 associated with the fourth switch 34.

At initial condition, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the pin 58 of the linkage 56 is at an end of the first rail 40 adjacent to the third rail 44. The cutter 18 and the compression member 20 are away from the compression chamber 16, and the driving base 72 of the sending device 26 is received in the space under the plate 74. The first and second activating portions 46 and 48 of the central controller 22 activate the first and second switches 28 and 30 respectively.

Before start the motor 12, tobacco is put in the hopper 14, and a cigarette tube 88 is fitted to the nozzle 38, as shown in FIG. 2. The motor 12 drives the central controller 22 for clockwise rotation, such that the pin 58 of the linkage 56 moves along the first rail 40 toward the second rail 42 to move the cutter 18 and the compression member 20 toward the compression chamber 16, as shown in FIG. 4. The cutter 18 cuts tobacco off and drops the cut tobacco in the channel 36, and then the compression member 20 sends the tobacco to the compression chamber 16, as shown in FIG. 5.

After the central controller 22 rotates for a predetermined angle, the second activating portion 48 of the central controller 22 activates the first switch 28, and the activating portion 54 of the cutter activates the third switch 32, as shown in FIG. 5. When the processor receives the signals from the first and third switches 28 and 32, the motor 12 drives the central controller 22 for counterclockwise rotation to move the cutter 18 and the compression member 20 backward. When the pin 58 of the linkage 56 returns the initial position, and the first and second switch 28 and 30 are activated by the first and second activating portions 46 and 48 of the central controller 22, the motor 12 drives the central controller for clockwise rotation again. Repeat the steps above, the cutter 18 and the compression member 20 reciprocate to send tobacco to the compression chamber 16 and compress the tobacco in the compression chamber 16.

When the compression member 20 compresses the tobacco in the compression chamber 16, the tobacco exerts the compression member 20 a counter force. While the counter force is greater than the spring force of the spring 68 of the sensor 24 exerted on the cover 64, the post 61 moves away the cover 64 and enters the recess 62, as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the cutter 18 moves for a litter shorter distance, and the activating portion 54 does not activate the third switch 32 but the first switch 28 is still activated by the second activating portion 48 of the central controller 22. These signals tell that there is a predetermined amount of tobacco in the compression chamber 14 for the next step.

When the processor receives the signals of only the first switch 28 ON, the motor 12 drives the central controller 22 keeping clockwise rotation that the pin 58 of the linkage 56 enters the second rail 42, and the pin 84 of the central controller 22 rests on the stop portion 80 of the driving base 72 to draw the driving base 72 out, as shown in FIG. 7. The linkage 56 is kept still when the pin 58 travels in the second rail 42 because the second rail 42 has the same curvature. As a result, the bar 76 is inserted into the compression chamber 16, and the shovel 78 is extruded out of the compression chamber 16 via the nozzle 38 to send the tobacco into the cigarette tube 88. After the fourth switch 34 is activated by the activating portion 86 of the driving base 72, the motor 12 drives the central controller 22 for counterclockwise rotation. The motor 12 is stopped when the first and second switches 28 and 30 are activated by the first and second activating portions 46 and 48 of the central controller 22. At this moment, all elements return their initial positions.

There might be tobacco left in the compression chamber 16 after a time of use that might jam the shovel 78 and the bar 76. The present invention provides a cleaning function. When start the cleaning procedure, as shown in FIG. 8, the central controller 22 rotates counterclockwise for the pin 58 of the linkage 56 entering the third rail 44 and the pin 84 of the central controller 22 against the stop portion 82 of the driving base 72. As a result, the bar 76 is moved into the compression chamber 16, and shovel 78 is moved out of the tube 38 to push the residual tobacco out. But the linkage 56 keeps still because the third rail 44 has the same curvature, such that the cutter 18 and the compression member 20 keep at their initial position. Until the fourth switch 34 is activated by the activating portion 86 of the driving base 72, the motor 12 drives the central controller 22 for clockwise rotation to return the sending device 26 and the central controller 22 to the initial positions.

The present invention provides a motor to complete all steps of filling the cigarette tube with tobacco and the cleaning procedure. The amount of the tobacco filled in the cigarette tube can be adjusted by turning the bolt 66 of the sensor 24. The present invention also provides the cleaning procedure to clean the tobacco left in the compression chamber. 

1. An apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco, comprising: a base, on which a hopper and a compression chamber are provided, wherein the hopper receives tobacco, and the compression chamber is communicated with the hopper; a cutter provided on the base to be driven for movement toward the hopper to cut the tobacco; a compression member provided on the base to be driven for movement toward the compression chamber to compress the tobacco in the compression chamber; a sending device having an end received in the compression chamber to be driven for movement to push the tobacco out of the compression chamber, and a central controller connected to the cutter, the compression member and the sending device respectively to drive the cutter, the compression member and the sending device for movement according to a predetermined procedure.
 2. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, further comprising a motor provided on the base to drive the central controller for rotation.
 3. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, wherein the sending device is kept still when the central controller drives the cutter and the compression member moving, and the cutter and the compression member are kept still when the central controller drives the sending device moving.
 4. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, further comprising a linkage with a middle pivoted on the base and opposite ends connected to the central controller and the cutter respectively.
 5. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 4, wherein the linkage has a pin, and the central controller has a rail to be engaged with the pin of the linkage, such that when the central controller rotates, the pin moves along the rail, and the cutter is moved via the linkage.
 6. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 5, wherein the rail has a first rail and a second rail communicated with the first rail, further wherein opposite ends of the first rail has different distance to a center of rotation of the central controller, such that the linkage is moved when the pin is engaged with the first rail and the central controller is rotating, and the second rail has the same curvature relative to the center of rotation of the central controller, such that the linkage is kept still when the pin is engaged with the second rail and the central controller is rotating.
 7. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 6, wherein the rail further has a third rail communicated with the first rail, which has the same curvature relative to the center of rotation of the central controller, such that the linkage is kept still when the pin is engaged with the third rail and the central controller is rotating.
 8. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, wherein the sending device has two parallel rails provided on the base, a driving base engaged with the rails to be driven for movement along the rails and connected to the central controller, a bar fixed to the driving base, and a shovel fixed to the bar, which is received in the compression chamber.
 9. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 8, wherein the driving base has at least a stop portion, and the central controller has a pin associated with the stop portion, so that the pin rests on the stop portion and drives the driving base for movement when the central controller rotates.
 10. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting a counter force of the tobacco in the compression chamber exerted on the compression member, wherein when the counter force is greater than a predetermined value, the central controller stops the cutter and the compression member sending tobacco to the compression chamber.
 11. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor has a cover connected to the compression member and a spring urging the cover, such that the cover is moved when the counter force is greater than a force of the spring urging the cover.
 12. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 11, wherein sensor further comprises a bolt to be screwed to compressed the spring, such that a spring force of the spring is adjusted by turning the bolt.
 13. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 12, wherein the spring, the cover and the bolt are provided on a linkage that connects the central controller and the cutter, and the linkage has a slot to receive a post on the cutter therein and a recess communicated with the slot, and the cover masks the recess when the counter force is smaller than the spring force, and the post moves the cover away and enters the recess when the counter force is greater than the spring force.
 14. The apparatus for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco as defined in claim 1, wherein the compression member has a slot, and the cutter has a pin received in the slot, such that the cutter moves the compression member when the cutter moves a predetermined distance with the pin against an end of the slot.
 15. A method for filling a cigarette tube with tobacco, comprising the steps of: a) driving a cutter cut tobacco off; b) driving a compression member compressing the tobacco in a compression chamber; c) detecting a counter force on the compression member from the tobacco when the compression member compresses the tobacco, wherein repeating the step a and the step b until the counter force is greater than a predetermined value, and d) driving a sending device to send the tobacco in the compression chamber to a cigarette tube.
 16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the cutter, the compression member and the sending device are connected to a central controller, which is driven by a motor, to process the steps.
 17. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the compression member is kept at a position of the compression member compressing the tobacco in the step d.
 18. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising a cleaning step of driving the sending device into the compression chamber to move residual tobacco out of the compression chamber.
 19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the compression member is kept at a position away from the compression chamber in the cleaning step. 